Tufting machine



' 3 1939- R. E. BAGGETT ET AL 2,143,579

TUFTING MACHTNE Filed May 17, 1957 Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED sures PATENT OFFICE 'IUFTING MACHINE Application May 17, 1937, Serial No. 143,158

5 Claims.

Our invention relates to tufting machines.

An important object of the invention is to provide a tufting machine which is an improvement upon the tufting machine shown in our cq-pending application Serial No. 117,058 filed December 21,, 1936.

A further object of the invention is to provide driving means for the looper and cutter, which driving means 15 separate from or iridependent of the actuating means for the work feed means, whereby the adjustmcnt of the actuating means to vary the length of the stitches produced by the work feed means, will not alter or interfcre wlth the operation of the looper and cutter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a.part of this application and in whichlike numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the saine,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a tufting machine, parts in section, the p forming mechanism being shown in elevaticn,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the operating parts of the machine,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the looper and cutter and associated elements.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the looper and cutter, the same being in the position to sever the 100p.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates the head of a sewing machine, embodying a needle bar 6, carrying a needle i. Co-acting with the needle is the usual presser foot 8. The needle bar is reciprocated by the usual drive shaft 9, through the medium of crank dise H) and link II.

The work feed means embodies a work feed dog i2, mounted upon a'rigid bar or link l3. The work feed means including the bar [3 is actuated by the rock shafts M and l5. Oneend of the bar la is pivotally connected with an upstanding crank l5, rigidly attached to the rock shaft M, While the opposite end of the bar l3 is forked at H, to receive the relier la carried by a horizontal crank 20, rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft 15. The crank 20 serves to raise the feed dog bar i3, while the crank I6 serves.

to move the feed dog longitudinally. The rock shafts M and l5 included in the means to actuate the work feed means are turned by connecting rods 2l and 22 respectively and these connecting rods are connected With the rock shafts Il and I5 by cranks 23. corresponding to the cranks 20. The connecting rods 2! and 22 are driven by the main drive shaft 9 through the medium of eccentrics 24 and 25. The c0n" necting link 2! is so mounted that its throw may be varied, to reglate the extent of turning movement of the rock shaft i4, which in turn wili regulate the extent of movement of the work feed means and control the length of the stitch. The same construction thus far given is that of theordinary Singer sewing machine and is identical With the disclosure in our said pending application Serial No. 117,058.

The needle i, in the usual manner, operates through the throat plate 26, carried by the horizontal work support or base 21. Arranged bencath this base 21 is a bracket 28, rigidly secured to a lug 29, depending from the base 21. This bracket is so positioned that the needle will descend into the space of the bracket. Mounted within this bracket is a looper member -29, as a whole, comprising an arm 30, w'hich is pivotally mounted at its lower end within the bracket 28. The looper arm 30 is provided at its upper end with a looper element or bill 3|, preferably having a. down turned end or hook 32. It is thus seen that the looper member is pivotally mounted.to swing in a vertical plane in the direction of the feed of the work, and thefree end of the looper element 3! faces inthe opposite direction to the direction of travel of the work during its feeding. The looper element 3! moves forwardly toward the needle 1 as the needle descends and enters the-100p produced by the needle when it approaches or reaches its lowermost position. The looper member is swung upon its pivot by a link 33, pivotally connected therewith and this link is pivotally co-rmected with an upstanding crank 34, rigidly mouxted upon an auxiliary rock shaft 35. This auxiliary rock shaft is arranged near and beneath the rock shaft M but is separate therefrcm. The rock shaft 35 is turned by a long cra'nk arm 36, pivotally con nected With a connecting rod 31, extending upwardly for pivotal connection with a crank 38 substantiaily identical with that shown in said co-pending application.

The cutting means for co-action with the looper member comprises a blade 40, which is preferably resilient. This blade has its lower end inserted within the opening 41 of a socket 42, which is rigidly secured to a relatively long crank 43, by welding, soldering, or the like, or the socket may be formed integral with the crank 43, if desired. The socket 42 has a screw-threaded opening for receiving a set screw 44, for clamping engagement with the lower end of the b1ade 40. The socket 42 carries an upstanding arm 45, extending longitudinally of the blade 40 and carrying an adjusting screw 46, to engage the b1ade or cutter 40, and press the same against the side of the looper element 3l, for producing a shearing action with the looper element. The blade or cutter is pref erably slightly twisted' at its cutting edge 41, to produce a proper shearing action. The crank 43 is ciamped to the auxiliary rock shaft 31, as shown. Attention is called to the fact that the crank 43 is much longer than the crank 34. The cutter or blade 40 is disposed substantiafly at a 5 right angle to the crank 43. Since both cranks 34 and 43 are mounted-upon the common rock shaft 35 they both turn clockwise when the rock shait 35 is turning clockwise and they both turn counter-clockwise when the rock shaft is tuming counter-clockwise. The looper member 29 is swung by the crank 34 while the cutter or blade is swung by the crank 43, and since the crank 43 is materialiy longer than the crank 34, the looper element or blade 40 W111 move faster than the looper elemnt 3l and wi11 swing clockwise when the looper element swings clockwise and counter-clockwise when the looper element swings counter-clockwise and will also partake of a movement generaily longitudinally of the looper member whereby the cutting edge 41, which is inclined, wi11 have a shearing action with the lower edge of the looper element 3 l throughout the major portion of such lower edge 3l, but not throughout the entire length of the edge 3l, asit is desired to leave one or more loops uncut,'adiacent to the down tumed end ,or hook 32, at each cutting stroke of the ctter or blade 40.

The operation of the machine 13 as foliows:

When the needle i moves downwardly it passes through the fabric and iorms a p beneath the same, and as the needle moves downwardly the looper element 3l moves toward the needle and enters the 100p as the needle approaches or reaches its lowermost position. While the looper clament is moving toward the needlethe cutter or blade 40 is moving from the looper element. As the needle rises, the looper e1ement 3l moves rearward1y from the needle, while the feed dog i2 moves in the direction of the movement of the looper, to feed the work, and the cutter or blade 40 is nowmoving toward the looper. As the looper approaches or reaches its outermost position from the needle the 100p on the looper is severed, leaving one or more loops unsevered upon the looper. The. looper element 3l has a greatex horizontal travel than vertical travel,- while the cutter or;biade 4!) has a ne.ter vertical travel thanhorizontal travel. Ttris'resuits in the cutter or biade 40 moving generally longi tudinaliy ofthe "looper. 2. 7

The word i-9cimocatory! is sed in its broad sense and covers an element moving.back and forth in a straight path or in a. curved path.

, means to actuate the work feed means including rock shafts, an auxiliary rock shait separate from the first named rock shaft, means to turn the auxiliary rock shait, a reciprocatory looper to enter the loop formed by the needle, means to move the looper driven by the auxiliary rock shaft, and a cutter mounted upon the auxiliary rock shaft to be moved thereby and independently mounted with respect to the looper and slidably engaging the looper to produce a shearing action therewith. V

2. In a tufting machine, a reciprocatory needle, work feeding means, means to actuate the work feeding means, an auxiliary rock shaft separate from the work feed actuating means, a reciprocatory looper to enter the 100p formed by the needle, a. crank carried by the auxiliary rock shait, a link.connecting the crank and looper, a second crank carried by the auxiliary rock shaft, and a cutter mounted upon the second crank and separately mounted from the looper and having slidable engagement with the looper to produce a shearing action with the looper.

3. In a tufting machine, a reciprocatory needle, work feding means, means to 'actuate the work feeding means including rock shafts, an auxiliary rock shaft independently driven with respect to said rock shafts, a crank carried by the.auxiliary rock shait, a reciprocatory looper to coact with the needle, a link connecting the looper and crank, a second crank mounted upon the auxiliary rock shaft and longer than the first crank, and a cutter mounted upon the second crank and separately mounted from the looper and having slidable engagement with the looper for producing a shearing action with the looper.

4. A tuting attachment for use in connection with a reciprocatory needle, and work feeding r work feeding means to simultaneously swing the looper and cutter counter-clockwise when viewed from oneSide and then simultaneously swing the looper and cutter clockwise when viewed from one side for efiecting 9. relative movement between the same,

5. In a tufting machine, a reciprocatory needle, work ieeding means, a pivoted looper, a pivoted cutter mounted separately from the looper and permanently slidably engaging one side of the looper to efiect a shearing action with the looper, and means separate from the work feeding means to swing the looper and cutter counter-clockwise when viewed from one side and then swing the looper and cutter clockwise when viewed from one side.

. ROBERT E. BAGGETI. V

JAMES GORDON. 

